Friday, 02 December 2011

breaking news courtesy of @mrbenjaminlaw of twitter fame (thanks Benjamin and Mimi), suggests that the above rather excellent and marvellous ad for Australian marriage equality has secured enough funds to be broadcast on national TV this weekend.

the GetUp! campaign website notes that "this weekend, delegates at the ALP National Conference will be voting on whether to make it their policy to end marriage discrimination. This video has already reached nearly 1,000,000 people -- but a national TV campaign this week would reach double that again, and really put the pressure on!"

mission, it would seem, accomplished. the ad will air over coming days in Sydney (Channels 9/10), Melbourne (7/9/10), Adelaide (9/10/SBS), Perth (9/SBS) and Brisbane (SBS).

what's interesting from Mediation's point of view (personal agenda aside) is the total reverse of the media model. from "fund an ad on broadcast TV > start conversation and debate > affect change" to "distribute content online > galvanise support and fundraise for broadcast > affect change" ... the goal remains the same, but (1) the conversation comes first and (2) broadcast becomes an end-point not a starting point.

interestingly broadcast becomes that end-point funded by the grass-roots community - TV not as passive distributor of message but rather an active signal to decision-makers that enough people care enough about this cause to fund its deployment in a broadcast public forum.

it's important that this ad is on TV. it's important because of the signal it sends to said decision-makers, but also because it will ensure the important message that it contains reaches people who - because of the echo-chamber effect of some online networks - wouldn't otherwise see it.

online networks have brought powerful, timely and positive changes to how we communicate - but broadcast retains it's potent ability to reach all of us. and, thanks to the efforts of GetUp! and its supporters, it is all of us who will be reminded that It's Time for mariage equality this weekend.

this weekend a grass-roots community is, for one minute and fifty six seconds, taking TV back ... and our TV is the better for it.